Mindless Meatloaf Minestrone

Mindless Meatloaf Minestrone from Kristen (Kueser) Peless

Start to finish: 20 minutes

2 cans (14.5 oz each) fat-free chicken broth
1 can (14.5 oz) fat free beef broth
1 bag (1 lb) frozen mixed vegetables, beg-all, but any mix that contains carrots, corn, green beans, peas and such work fine.
1 bag (18 oz) frozen meatballs
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
1/2 c. dried macaroni noodles (or shells)
1 can (15 oz) light red kidney beans
1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Pour the chicken and beef broth into a 4.5 qt dutch oven or soup pot and begin heating on high. Add the still-frozen vegetables and meatballs. Add the tomatoes and macaroni. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. This will take about 10 min.

While the soup is heating, rinse and drain the kidney beans and set aside. When the soup comes to a boil, uncover and stir well. (The macaroni sinks to the bottom).

Add the kidney beans and Italian seasoning and reduce the heat to medium. Stir frequently until mac is tender, about 6-7 min more. Serve with breadsticks, and garnish with 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese.

Possey Stew

Possey Stew by Peggy Whipple

1 – 1 ½ lbs. hamburger

2 cans ranch style beans

1 can hominy

2 cans tomatoes blended

1 4 oz. can diced green chiles

1 16oz. can whole kernel corn

1 onion chopped

1 tsp garlic salt

Salt and pepper

Brown hamburger in large pot. Drain Fat. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Simmer 30 minutes.

Enjoy! This can also be put into a crock pot on low for 4-6 hrs.

Pan fried tacos

Pan Fried Tacos by Evelyn Hornbarger

Beef
Corn tortillas
Toppings for tacos:
Salsa
Tomatoes
Green chilies
Lettuce
Cheese
Sour cream

Season raw ground beef in small bowl with salt/pepper/thyme/desired seasoning. Get oil in pan hot, put corn tortilla in pan. Put little patty of raw ground beef on half of tortilla and fold tortilla over on meat. Cook on both sides till meat is done. Serve with desired toppings in taco.

A completely different tasting taco!

Tortilla Casserole

Tortilla Casserole from Therese Culbertson

12 Tortillas
1 lb ground beef, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4 oz can mushrooms
chopped green chile (8 oz)
Garlic salt to taste
1 lb cheddar cheese, grated

Mix all ingredients together, except cheese and tortillas. Layer in 9x13 pan (spread small amount on sauce in pan to prevent sticking). Tortillas, sauce, cheese. End with cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Green Chile Stew

Green Chile Stew from Therese Culbertson

Brown 1-2 lbs cubed round steak (or chicken) in oil. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1 clove minced garlic and cook lightly. Mix 1/4 c. flour with 1/4 c. water. Add flour plus 2 cans (14 oz each) Swanson's chicken broth. Cook at simmer, covered, until meat is tender. Add 1 can (14-16 oz) chopped tomatoes, drained, 1 1/4 c. chopped green chili, 2 medium potatoes, cubed. Season with 1 tsp salt and some pepper. Cook, covered, until potatoes are tender.

YUM! Great New Mexican recipe!

Black Bean Empanadas

Black Bean Empanadas

Got this recipe and pictures from http://foodbringsfamiliestogether.blogspot.com/

These were so yummy and we will definitely be making them again. It made a lot so if you have a small family you may want to half this recipe. We halfed it and we still had leftovers but they aren't quite as good the second day unless you reheat them in the oven. Can be eaten with a side of rice and beans.

Black Bean Empanadas

1/2 lb of ground pork or beef or turkey (i used beef because that is what I had)
1 small red pepper , chopped (can use a tomato is peppers aren't in season and are too expensive!)
4 green onions plus half of a yellow or white onion,chopped
2 T. minced garlic
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 T chili powder
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp salt
1-8oz can tomato sauce (even though I halfed it, I put the whole 8 oz in)
1-15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 sheets or 1 1/2 pkgs puff pastry sheets(can find these in the frozen section of any grocerystore)Thawed (I used 2 (1pkg) when I halfed it)
1 egg
1 T. water


Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat the egg and water in a small bowl and set aside. In a skillet, cook the pork/turkey/or beef until well browned. Stir in the onions, garlic, Red pepper(or tomato), jalapeno, and black beans and cook until veggies are tender. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, corriander, salt, and tomato sauce. bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the cheese and the cilantro. Let cool to room temp (I didn't let it cool that much down- just let it sit while thawing and getting my pastry sheets cut).


Unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface . Roll each sheet into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut into circles with a cookie cutter or with a knife any size you like.( I cut some of mine 3 inches, some 7 inches, and some I just cut into squares and folded them over to make a triangle turnover. Just do whatever is easiest for you. They all taste the same.) Spoon some of the black bean mixture onto each circle or square. Make sure to leave enough space to fold and seal each one. Wet the edges of each circle with a little bit of water, fold over and press with a fork to seal. Place onto a baking sheet, brush tops with the egg wash and bake. The original recipe says to bake for 15-30 minutes but it will vary depending on the size so you will have to watch yours and see how long it takes in your oven. Take out of oven let set for 5 minutes then serve with beans, rice, guacomole, limes, salsa, and sour cream. We had left over sauce part so we put the half of the beans on top the left over sauce part then topped with the above. SOOO YUMMMY!!!

Got this recipe and pictures of it from http://foodbringsfamiliestogether.blogspot.com/. Great blog for recipes!!!!!!!!!! Enjoy!

Simply Beef Stew

This recipe/pictures is taken from http://jbeanrecipes.blogspot.com. We made it last night and it was so easy and really delicious!

Simply Beef Stew

I got this recipe from my neighbor. She brought this stew over after I had my baby. It was so simple and delicious. We'll be making it again because my kids loved it! The other great thing was the veggies were in beautiful, big chunks but they were so tender and not crunchy or mushy like in most stews. The key is cooking them separately. Hope you enjoy this simple, yet full of flavor, stew.

from Jean

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, cut up
2 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups carrots, cut in thick circles
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp thyme or oregano (we used thyme)
pepper to taste
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 can tomato soup (I didn't have soup so I used tomato sauce and it still tasted great, but a little more watery consistency)
Reserved veggie water

Cook hamburger with salt, pepper, and thyme. (Keep hamburger kind of chunky.)

In separate pots, cook potatoes and carrots until almost done. (Cook the onions with the potatoes.)Reserve water from potatoes and carrots.

Add veggies, Worcestershire, tomato soup, and veggie water to hamburger. (You might not need all the veggie water. Add to desired broth consistency.) Simmer for 30 minutes until veggies are fully tender (but not mushy).Serve with breadsticks or saltines.

Lasagna

Lasagna by Chris Tanner

Brown together:
2 lbs ground beef
1 c. onion
1 clove garlic
Add to above:
1 8-oz can tomatoes
1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 ½ TBS Parsley
1 ½ TBS Sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil

Mix and set aside:
1 sm carton cottage cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 TBS Parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano

Mix together:
¾ lb mozzarella cheese
½ c Parmesan

Cook 1 pkg lasagna noodles (about 10) until soft. Layer above ingredients in 9X13 pan – noodles, meat, then cheeses. Bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Meatballs and Rice

Meatballs and Rice by Lee Betteridge

1 ¼ cup Pineapple Juice
1 TBS soy sauce
3 TBS vinegar
1/3 cup water with 2 ½ TBS cornstarch
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups pineapple tidbits
2 green peppers, finely chopped

Pour sauce over thawed meatballs and cook through in crock-pot or oven and serve with rice (or noodles).

Dorito Casserole

Dorito Casserole by Jen Hopkin (Israel 1996)

Mix and Simmer:
1 lb. Hamburger
1 taco seasoning
1 jar salsa
1 can refried beans

Layer:
Doritos (the chips)
Meat Sauce (from above)
Cheese

Bake for cheese to melt (15 minutes at most). Top with olives, lettuce and/or sour cream.

Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf Donna Westhoff

1 ½ lb. Ground beef
¾ cup oats
¼ cup chopped onion
1 ½ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 cup tomato juice
1 egg, beaten

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Pack firmly into an ungreased loaf pan. Bake in a preheated over at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Easy Beef Stroganoff by Donna Westhoff

1 lb. Hamburger
1 pkg. Onion soup mix
1 can Cr. of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cr. of Chicken Soup
1 can water or milk
1 small pkg. sour cream

Brown hamburger. Add soup mix, soups, water or milk, and sour cream. Simmer. Serve on rice, noodles or potatoes.

Stuffed French Bread

Stuffed French Bread

Cut off the top of the french bread loaf and dig out the bread.

Sauce:
1 lb. Hamburger, cooked
1 ½ can Cr. of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup
fresh cut mushrooms
Cheddar cheese, shredded
add the bread that you took out.

Stuff the bread with the sauce. Put the top on and wrap in foil. Place in a pan. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Slice the bread and serve.

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
2 15 oz can tomatoes, including juice
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can black beans (kidney, pinto or chili beans also work)
1-2 cups frozen corn (can use canned corn)
½ pkg. Taco seasoning mix

Brown hamburger with onion in a stockpot. Add other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve on chips with sour cream and cheese.
Very easy to make and VERY delicious!

Giada de Laurentis’ Lasagna Rolls

Giada de Laurentis’
Lasagna Rolls
6 Main-course servings

Sauce:
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 15-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¾ teaspoon salt, plus fore for pasta
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 dried lasagna noodles
Butter, for baking dish
2 cups quick marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

To make the cream sauce:
Melt the butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking continuously. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper and nutmeg in to the cream sauce.

To make the lasagna:
In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup for the Parmesan cheese, prosciutto, egg, the ¾ teaspoon of salt, and the pepper until blended.
Bring a very large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.
Preheat the over to 450. Butter a 13x9x2 glass baking dish. Spread the cream sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish.
Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface. Then spread about 3 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Roll the noodles up and arrange the rolls, seam sides down and not touching one another, atop the cream sauce. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake until the rolls are heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top is golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Julie’s Beef Brisket

Julie’s Beef Brisket Julie Berry 2006

Have meat department trim a 8lb beef brisket.

Rub garlic, salt and pepper over it. Brown it severely on both sides. Foil seal it and set in a jelly roll pan or roasting pan. Bake in 300 degree oven for 1 hour.

Add ½ -1 cup water and reseal – maybe add another layer of foil around meat. Bake in 250 degrees overnight (12-13 hours).

Let it sit in juices for 30 min. -1 hour. Undo foil and pour juices in a container and seal meat back up and place all in fridge.

11/2 hour before serving – cut meat thinly (1/4 inch) across the grain. Pick fat off juice and make a gravy with juice, flour and/or gravy mix packet. Pour gravy over meat and separate. Place sliced, fresh mushrooms on top. Rewarm in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until bubbly.

This is terrific on rolls the day after!!

Beef Broccoli Stirfry

Beef Broccoli Stirfry

I got this from Martha Stewart Everyday Foods, and it was a hit with my family. Fresh broccoli is best, but I've used frozen and it works ok too.

3 T. soy sauce
3 T. apple juice
1 T. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
pepper
1 1/4 lb flank or sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 T oil
1 T. cornstarch
1 head broccoli

Mix first 6 ingredients and marinate beef for 15 min. Heat oil. Remove meat from marinade and reserve marinade. In two batches, cook meat until browned. Remove meat, add 1/2 c. water to pan and stir up browned bits. Pour into reserved marinade and whisk in cornstarch. Fry broccoli in 1 tsp. oil, about 2 minutes. Add 1 c. water and cook 6-8 minutes. Add marinade and bring to a boil, let thicken. Add meat and season with salt and pepper.